March 6, 2013

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Mobilize Your Law Firm with Amicus Premium 2013

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Like the new Amicus Cloud small-firm web-based Practice Management offering, Amicus Premium Edition 2013 will significantly mobilize your law office. In addition to getting complete Practice Management,  you also get access to two new mobility services: Amicus Anywhere and Amicus Timetracker. Timetracker Just like Timetracker for Amicus Small Firm Edition, Timetracker is now available for […]

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February 27, 2013

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Amicus Cloud New Features: February 2013

Amicus Cloud

Amicus Attorney Cloud Edition was officially released in October 2012 and has since made strides with offering new features to optimize a user’s experience.  Their developers have kept Amicus Attorney’s traditional desktop version tools like firm reports and calendar sharing while offering some web-based efficiencies such as the recent activity list or a global search […]

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February 7, 2013

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End of Support for Windows XP

Windows XP End of Support

Are you still running Windows XP on your desktops in your organization?  The end of extended support for Windows XP is coming up quick. So what does this mean to you? On April 8, 2014, security patches and hot fixes for all versions of Windows XP will no longer be available. PC’s running Windows XP will […]

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January 31, 2013

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How Your Sleep Habits are Affecting Your Job

tips for sleeping well

A recent study by Harvard Medical School is shedding some light on how sleep-deprived workers are affecting U.S. businesses. According to a New York Times article, a third of American workers are not getting enough sleep, and it’s costing businesses about $63.2 billion in lost productivity (1). The irony is that it seems technology (which […]

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January 24, 2013

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Why Cleveland Might Be the Best Place to Start a Law Firm

downtown-cleveland-2a

According to a recent article in the Plain Dealer, Cleveland is quickly becoming an ideal place for young lawyers to live. The affordability of Northeast Ohio, coupled with a large legal industry, makes Cleveland an attractive place to live for attorneys. When comparing the buying power of Cleveland residents to New York or California, Cleveland […]

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January 17, 2013

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Shopping for the Right Practice Management Software for Your Law Firm

Choosing a Practice Management System

A Practice Management System (PMS) is one of the most important tools in any law firm. But nobody wants to invest time and money into a program that quickly falls short of their expectations  a year down the road. During the selection process, you’ll probably use a number of resources to help you determine which […]

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December 14, 2012

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A Few of My Favorite Things in Amicus Cloud

Amicus Cloud

With Gavel & Gown’s recent release of Amicus Cloud, our team has been spending time converting clients from desktop versions and training those brand new to the Amicus Attorney format. My role as a consultant is often to explain to users how their office workflow and productivity can dramatically improve on a new product. Shortly […]

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November 15, 2012

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Benefits of working with a Value-Added Reseller

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A VAR, or Value-added reseller, is a company that adds features or services to an existing product and then resells it as an integrated product or complete “turn-key” solution. VARs can add value to both software and hardware acquisitions. For instance, you might know that you need a PC but do you know if you […]

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November 8, 2012

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Use Native Outlook App on Any PC Outside the Office

Email

By utilizing the “Outlook Anywhere” service in Microsoft Exchange, firms can provide full-featured, anywhere access to the native Outlook application for staff and attorneys. This means that firm members can access and operate their exact same workplace Outlook mailboxes from anywhere rather than only having access while in the physical office space. This should allow […]

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October 29, 2012

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Amicus Attorney Cloud Review

Amicus Cloud Review

After several months of beta testing, Gavel & Gown officially announced the release of Amicus Attorney Cloud Edition today. We were present at the original demonstration by Ron Collins at the ABA TECHSHOW in March, and have been waiting ever since to compose a full review for our readers. Compared to other cloud-based practice management […]

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October 9, 2012

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Enter to Win a Free Network Audit

Win a Network Audit Linkedin Banner blog

  This could be your one and only chance to receive a Network Audit (a $1000 value) completely free. Beginning this month, October 2012, Accellis Technology Group will select one Law Firm per month for the next twelve months that will win a complete Network IT Audit. We will evaluate your servers, computers, firewall, printers, software, backups, anti-virus, security […]

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September 7, 2012

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Creating Conversations: Let’s Give ‘Em Something to Talk About

Photo from http://mubi.com/

Want to know one of the best-kept secrets in legal marketing? Brace yourself; this one’s a doozy. If you want people to talk about you or your service, you have to give ‘em something to talk about. Create the conversation. But don’t create just any old conversation. Decide what you want people talking about, listen […]

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August 22, 2012

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Taking a Screenshot Using the Snipping Tool

Snipping Tool Screenshot (2)

There is a hidden tool in Microsoft that very few people know about, and can save you a ton of time throughout the day. The Snipping Tool captures a screenshot of anything on your desktop, like a section of a webpage. You can snip a whole window, a rectangular section of your screen, or draw a […]

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August 14, 2012

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3 Questions to Ask Before Your Next Tech Purchase

3 Questions to Ask Before Your Next Tech Purchase

With so many advancements in the world of technology, lawyers have thousands of options for technology tools throughout their practice.  The pace at which new products are being introduced – all promising to save you time and money – has never been faster. The challenge is deciding which of those technologies are truly valuable to […]

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August 2, 2012

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Quick Tip: Printing to PDF in Google Chrome

Print to PDF in Google Chrome

I do a lot of reading on the web – major news sites, academic journals, social media sites, legal briefs, etc., to name a few. I also happen to be an information hoarder. If I bump into a good article that I think I might cite in future research, I need a quick and easy […]

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July 24, 2012

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The Ultimate Collection of Time Matters Training Materials

Ultimate Collection of Time Matters Training Materials

We spend a lot of time here at Accellis helping people get the most out of their computer systems. Since a large portion of the people we work with use Time Matters Practice Management Software on a day-to-day basis, we’ve put together a collection of materials to help you take advantage of some of the […]

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June 21, 2012

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A Kindle App You Never Knew You Needed

Timeline replaces the shouting with intimate conversations from our past – content that captures the core of our being – our experiences.

For Kindle owners who prefer reading articles directly on your Kindle instead of a web browser, there’s a free Google Chrome app you can download to make this operation easy, fast and seamless. This feature might be helpful if: You prefer reading on the Kindle versus the desktop, laptop or mobile phone A story catches […]

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June 14, 2012

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A Simple Trick for Picking (and remembering) a Good Password

password_strength2

Pick a line from a book you enjoyed – something that resonated with you enough to stick in your head. Throw in some dictionary attack protection, like a string of numbers or special characters, and you’ve got yourself one monster of a password that would take a hacker significantly longer to guess than the passwords […]

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June 6, 2012

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5 Ways Amicus Attorney Lets You Communicate While You’re Out

5 Ways Amicus Attorney Helps You Stay in Touch While You’re Out 5

For attorneys, it can be difficult to balance both client-based activities and a personal life. This is especially difficult in the summer months when schedules become non-stop and the long days become filled with court appearances, depositions, client meetings, golf outing, graduations and vacations. The ability to stay connected to your firm while on the go is sometimes […]

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May 22, 2012

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Why You Shouldn’t Give Your Employees a Raise

penny

Reported by the Harvard Business Review, research concludes that, “employer-provided training has the same effect on job satisfaction as a 17.7% net wage increases…” (Budria, 2010). In short, we can conclude that employees view employer-provided training as a valuable part of their job and pay. Employees don’t like being incompetent and training gives them the […]

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May 17, 2012

8 Comments

10 Awesome Computer Tips Everyone Should Know

10 Awesome Computer Tricks

Here are some useful tricks to help you be a more efficient and knowledgeable computer user: Windows+L: Locks your computer Windows+P: Quickly sets up a second screen and/or monitor Windows+D: Minimize all open windows Windows+Tab: Switch windows Control+F: Opens a search box where you can search through text on a web page or document Control+Enter: Wraps […]

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May 4, 2012

2 Comments

QuickFix: Internet Explorer Freezing

Internet Explorer Freezing QuickFix

Recently, many of our clients are experiencing issues with their Internet Explorer “freezing”. So far, we have been able to determine that it has something to do with the Bing Bar when set as your default search provider. There is no risk to your firm or any data. It appears to be a denial of service attack on […]

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April 6, 2012

8 Comments

Word 2010: Setting Default Font & Spacing

Word 2010 Setting Default Font and Spacing 7 new

I’ve have friends call me all the time, inside and outside the legal industry, because I know a few things about computers. Regarding Microsoft Word, the number one complaint is always this: “Mike, every time I open up Word it’s set to Calibri, 11-pt. font, and is double spaced with 10-pt. after-spacing. How do I set […]

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March 22, 2012

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3 Things to Try Before Calling Tech Support

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Computer problems always seem to occur at the most inconvenient time: When you’re in the middle of drafting a contract that you haven’t saved yet, at 6pm on Friday when and you’re almost done entering your time, or right when you’re about to hit your highest score on your online Texas Hold ‘em tournament. But before […]

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March 15, 2012

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When is Hosted Exchange Right for Your Firm?

When is Hosted Exchange Right for Your Firm-2

A lot of law firms outsource their Microsoft Exchange Server to a third-party provider instead of purchasing a server and hosting Microsoft Exchange internally. The advantages are that the third-party absorbs the cost of hardware, software, management, and leaves the law firm with just a monthly investment of $10-$25 per month per user, depending on […]

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March 8, 2012

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The New iPad + Memorable Quotes from Tim Cook

The New iPad

On March 7th, Tim Cook introduced Apple’s latest product, the new iPad. Within seconds, the internet was buzzing with tweets and live blog feeds directly from the invitation-only event.  With over 100 competitive tablets introduced in the market within the last year, Apple is determined to stay ahead of its rivals. But will the new iPad […]

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February 27, 2012

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Quick Tip: Saving Email Attachments in Worldox

Creating Projects in Worldox

When you send a file by email and then get it back by email, there are just four clicks of the mouse needed to get you on your way; this easy trick saves loads of time compared the alternative of opening up the document and having to re-profile it.  When you open a new email […]

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February 9, 2012

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Entering Time in PCLaw Using the Quick Timer

laptop computer

Most PCLaw users enter time in aggregate at the end of the day or week using the Time Sheet.  However, PCLaw created the Quick Timer for those who love using timers or prefer to enter a their time when a task is completed – without opening PCLaw or running multiple programs at the same time.   Using the Quick Timer […]

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February 3, 2012

3 Comments

A Preview of Worldox GX3: Game Changer?

Worldox GX3 Logo

Announced at Legal Tech New York 2012, and releasing to the general public soon, Worldox GX3 is set to turn the document management software community up-side down.  Worldox is a document management system designed by World Software Corporation for legal and other professional service firms. It is highly regarded and known as a top tier solution for […]

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January 30, 2012

1 Comment

Lawyers, Stop Turning Business Away: A Lesson in Economics

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True story: The attorney I use for various legal matters related to my income properties is a busy guy. So busy, in fact, that he hasn’t returned calls or emails for over two weeks. There are probably only about 4-5 hours of work on the table but, nonetheless, he’s not billing for them and I’m […]

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January 12, 2012

6 Comments

Why Young Workers Break Your IT Rules

Young workers

According to a recent Cisco survey, seven out of ten (70%) young employees break their companies’ IT policies regularly. This is dangerous for your law practice for a multitude of reasons. Below are the Cisco stats; each will come with subsequent analysis so you know what this means for your law firm. The most common […]

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January 6, 2012

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Amicus Attorney Premium Edition 2012: What’s New?

AmicusAttorney 2012

The 2012 version of Amicus Attorney Premium Edition boasts bold new features that really add a lot of value to the software. Let’s take a look: Documents Amicus really turned up the heat with fully integrated document management. In 2012, under your Office, Dalies, Favorites, Files, Calendar, etc., tabs, there is now a Documents tab. Here you can […]

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